nkjv Job:1-3 SEEK
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There was a man in the land of Uz ,
whose name was Job ;
and that man was blameless and upright ,
and one who feared God and shunned evil .
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And seven sons and three daughters were born to him .
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Also ,
his possessions were seven thousand sheep ,
three thousand camels ,
five hundred yoke of oxen ,
five hundred female donkeys ,
and a very large household ,
so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East .
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And his sons would go and feast in their houses ,
each on his appointed day ,
and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them .
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So it was ,
when the days of feasting had run their course ,
that Job would send and sanctify them ,
and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all .
For Job said , "
It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts ."
Thus Job did regularly .
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Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD ,
and Satan also came among them .
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And the LORD said to Satan , "
From where do you come ?"
So Satan answered the LORD and said , "
From going to and fro on the earth ,
and from walking back and forth on it ."
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Then the LORD said to Satan , "
Have you considered My servant Job ,
that there is none like him on the earth ,
a blameless and upright man ,
one who fears God and shuns evil ?"
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So Satan answered the LORD and said , "
Does Job fear God for nothing ?
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Have You not made a hedge around him ,
around his household ,
and around all that he has on every side ?
You have blessed the work of his hands ,
and his possessions have increased in the land .
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But now ,
stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has ,
and he will surely curse You to Your face !"
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And the LORD said to Satan , "
Behold ,
all that he has is in your power ;
only do not lay a hand on his person ."
So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD .
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Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother '
s house ;
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and a messenger came to Job and said , "
The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them ,
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when the Sabeans raided them and took them away--indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword ;
and I alone have escaped to tell you !"
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While he was still speaking ,
another also came and said , "
The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants ,
and consumed them ;
and I alone have escaped to tell you !"
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While he was still speaking ,
another also came and said , "
The Chaldeans formed three bands ,
raided the camels and took them away ,
yes ,
and killed the servants with the edge of the sword ;
and I alone have escaped to tell you !"
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While he was still speaking ,
another also came and said , "
Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother '
s house ,
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and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house ,
and it fell on the young people ,
and they are dead ;
and I alone have escaped to tell you !"
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Then Job arose ,
tore his robe ,
and shaved his head ;
and he fell to the ground and worshiped .
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And he said : "
Naked I came from my mother '
s womb ,
And naked shall I return there .
The LORD gave ,
and the LORD has taken away ;
Blessed be the name of the LORD ."
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In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong .
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Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD ,
and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD .
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And the LORD said to Satan , "
From where do you come ?"
Satan answered the LORD and said , "
From going to and fro on the earth ,
and from walking back and forth on it ."
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Then the LORD said to Satan , "
Have you considered My servant Job ,
that there is none like him on the earth ,
a blameless and upright man ,
one who fears God and shuns evil ?
And still he holds fast to his integrity ,
although you incited Me against him ,
to destroy him without cause ."
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So Satan answered the LORD and said , "
Skin for skin !
Yes ,
all that a man has he will give for his life .
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But stretch out Your hand now ,
and touch his bone and his flesh ,
and he will surely curse You to Your face !"
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And the LORD said to Satan , "
Behold ,
he is in your hand ,
but spare his life ."
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So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD ,
and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head .
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And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes .
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Then his wife said to him , "
Do you still hold fast to your integrity ?
Curse God and die !"
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But he said to her , "
You speak as one of the foolish women speaks .
Shall we indeed accept good from God ,
and shall we not accept adversity ?"
In all this Job did not sin with his lips .
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Now when Job '
s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him ,
each one came from his own place--Eliphaz the Temanite ,
Bildad the Shuhite ,
and Zophar the Naamathite .
For they had made an appointment together to come and mourn with him ,
and to comfort him .
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And when they raised their eyes from afar ,
and did not recognize him ,
they lifted their voices and wept ;
and each one tore his robe and sprinkled dust on his head toward heaven .
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So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights ,
and no one spoke a word to him ,
for they saw that his grief was very great .
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After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth .
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And Job spoke ,
and said :
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May the day perish on which I was born ,
And the night in which it was said , "
A male child is conceived .'
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May that day be darkness ;
May God above not seek it ,
Nor the light shine upon it .
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May darkness and the shadow of death claim it ;
May a cloud settle on it ;
May the blackness of the day terrify it .
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As for that night ,
may darkness seize it ;
May it not rejoice among the days of the year ,
May it not come into the number of the months .
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Oh ,
may that night be barren !
May no joyful shout come into it !
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May those curse it who curse the day ,
Those who are ready to arouse Leviathan .
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May the stars of its morning be dark ;
May it look for light ,
but have none ,
And not see the dawning of the day ;
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Because it did not shut up the doors of my mother '
s womb ,
Nor hide sorrow from my eyes .
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Why did I not die at birth ?
Why did I not perish when I came from the womb ?
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Why did the knees receive me ?
Or why the breasts ,
that I should nurse ?
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For now I would have lain still and been quiet ,
I would have been asleep ;
Then I would have been at rest
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With kings and counselors of the earth ,
Who built ruins for themselves ,
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Or with princes who had gold ,
Who filled their houses with silver ;
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Or why was I not hidden like a stillborn child ,
Like infants who never saw light ?
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There the wicked cease from troubling ,
And there the weary are at rest .
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There the prisoners rest together ;
They do not hear the voice of the oppressor .
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The small and great are there ,
And the servant is free from his master .
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Why is light given to him who is in misery ,
And life to the bitter of soul ,
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Who long for death ,
but it does not come ,
And search for it more than hidden treasures ;
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Who rejoice exceedingly ,
And are glad when they can find the grave ?
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Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden ,
And whom God has hedged in ?
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For my sighing comes before I eat ,
And my groanings pour out like water .
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For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me ,
And what I dreaded has happened to me .
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I am not at ease ,
nor am I quiet ;
I have no rest ,
for trouble comes ."
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Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said :